YELLOW BUNTING. 307 



grasses, on the inside lined with hair or very fine 

 grass. After breeding, the party of young may 

 frequently be found by the edges of the cultivated 

 districts, and often in potatoe fields. In winter, 

 they congregate into larger flocks, and seem 

 more gregariously disposed than many of our 

 other British Buntings. 



The range of the Common Bunting is general 

 in Britain, extending northward to Sutherland- 

 shire and the Hebrides. In Europe also it 

 reaches for a considerable way both to the north 

 and south, passing the Asiatic boundary. 



THE YELLOW BUNTING, EMBERIZA CITRI- 

 NE L LA, Linn. Em. citrinelZa, Linn. fyc. 

 Yellow Bunting, or Yellow Hammer, of British 

 authors. This very beautiful and common species 

 is distributed in abundance through all the cul- 

 tivated districts of the British mainland, becom- 

 ing less plentiful towards the north, and, according 

 to Mr Dunn, being an occasional visiter of Ork- 

 ney. It may be found every where, though par- 

 tial to culture and population, and may be seen 

 in almost every hedgerow or lane, either flitting 

 before the traveller,, or basking in the dust of the 

 way, or perched on some rather elevated spray, 

 and thence uttering its little varied note. In 

 winter, it congregates in small parties, mixes 

 with flocks of other small birds, and frequents 

 the farm-yard, or vicinity of cottages, where food 

 may be expected ; it is not, however, gregarious 



